Folding carton



Sept 19 1950 v. R. PANTALoNE 2,523,250

FOLDING CARTON INVENTOR.

Vl A55/v1 R. PnNTHLoA/E Sept 19, 1950 R. PANTALQNE 2,523,250

FOLDING cAn'roN Filed Feb. 1v, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. VINf/VT" R. mNTnoA/E MUM ad ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 19, 1950 vUNITED STATES nPATENT OFFICE FOLDING CARTON Vincent R. Pantalone, Hamden, Conn., assignor to. National Folding' Box Company, Inc., New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 17, 1947, Serial No. 729,066

' 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in folding cartons for the shipping and display of merchandise.

The invention provides an improved carton or box structure which maybe constructed from a single sheet or blank of foldable sheet material. The blank may be collapsed for storage purposes, is easily expanded or s'et up to form a shipping receptacle which, in turn, may easily be converted or opened into a display carton for the display or sale of merchandise.

The invention also provides a multiple-tier display receptacle which is extremely attractive, may economically be made from a single sheet of foldable board such as paperboard, box board, or the like, printed on only one side, yet providing an attractive display stand in which all the outside surfaces are printed or decoratively finished, and in which the unprinted surfaces are hidden by the merchandise.

Display receptacles embodying the invention may be folded and glued on automatic box ma.- chinery and are delivered from the machinery in the form of a tubular, flat, collapsed blank which may be shipped and stored in fiat condition and be expanded or set up as a shipping or a display receptacle by a few simple manual folding operations without further gluing, stapling, stitching or similar securing operations.

The invention provides, among other 'advantages, the feature that cartons or receptacles embodying the inventive construction may be converted from a shipping to a display receptacle without the necessity of removing or rearranging the contents.

These and Various other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing, for the purpose of illustration, va preferred embodiment of the invention.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and 'I claimed.

Although the characteristic features of thisinvention, which are believed to be novel, will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages,` and the manner in which it may be carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which 2 a carton embodying the present inventioncmay be formed, the unnished inner surface facing the observer;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank shown in Figure 1 after folding and gluing operations resulting in the formation of a flat, collapsed tubular structure;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a partly assembled box structure made from the blanks of Figures land 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the box structure of Figure 3 after performance of further folding operations resulting in a receptacle reat for lling with merchandise; ,Y

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the box in Figure 4 after filling and closing, the box forming a shipping receptacle;

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the box of Figure 5 after opening and folding of the back panel to form a display receptacle; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an advertising panel for use in the display receptacle 'of Figure 6.

In the following description and in the claims. various details will be identified by specic names for convenience. The names, however, are intended to be as generic as the art will permit.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several gures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying, and forming part of, this specification, certain specic disclosure of the invention is made for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invention, but it is understood that the details may be modified in-various respects without departure from the principles of the invention and that the invention may be applied to other structures than the ones shown. f

The blank A shown in Figure l1 is of an outline resulting in a minimum ofwaste of material and permitting easy stripping of cut portions. The blank may be cut and scored from a large sheet or roll of paperboard or other suitable foldable sheet material on automatic cutting and creasing machines. Only one side of the blank need be decoratively finished or imprinted, since only one surface of the blank is presented as the outside surface 'of the carton, both when serving as a shipping carton as well as when serving `as a. display stand.

Figure 1 shows the blank A in a position in which the unfinished inside surface faces the observer. The blank A may be considered as providing a. body portion Il, a trayA portion I2, and a cover portion I3.

The body portion II includes wall panels I4, I5, I6, I1 and a terminal glue flap I8 hingedly connected along side fold lines I8, 20, 2I, and 22. The wall panels I4 and I6 constitute side walls. 'I'he panel I5 forms a front wall and th panel I1 forms a back wall.

Bottom panels 23, 24, 25, and 26 are hingedly connected to the wall panels I4, I 5, I6, and I1, respectively, along a bottom fold line 21 which intersects the side fold lines I9, 20, ZI, and 22 substantially at right angles. The bottom panels 23, 24, 25, and 26 are foldable upon one another,` interlock, and form the bottomA wall of the body portion II.

A top or cover panel 28 is connected tothe back wall panel I1 along a top fold line 29 extending substantially parallel to the bottom.

fold line 21. The top panel 28 has an interrupted fold line 38 extending across it permit# ting folding of the top panel back upon itself for display purposes as will later appear. Between the two sections of the fold line 30, an internal cut line 3| circumscribes a central area 32 of the top panel 28 which permits the forward part of the top panel 28 to be folded upon itself along the fold line 38--30 with the central area 32 removed from its original position and extending upward from the said fold line. A tuck flap 33` having a tab portion 34 is hingedly connected to the top panel 28 along a fold line 35.

'Ihe tray portion I2 of the blank comprises a tray bottom panel 36 to which tray front and back walls 31 and 38, respectively, are hingedly connected along lateral fold lines 33 and 40. The

tray back wall 38 is hingedly connected to the ing panels I and 52 are hingedly connected to the inner end panels 41 and 48 along fold lines 53 and 54 and are adapted to overlie the' tray bottom panel 36 after assembly into tray form.

' The securing panels 5I and 52 are held in place after assembly by tabs 55 and 56 cut from the tray bottom panel 36 by cut lines 51 and 58, and scored along fold lines 59 and 6II.

Tray end flaps 6I and 62 are hingedly connected to the tray front wall 31 and tray end flapsV 63 and 64 are 4hinged to the tray back wall 38 along fold lines 65, 66, 61, and 68. These 4fold lines are either continuations of the end fold lines 45 and 46 or are slightly spaced therefrom, but parallel thereto, depending on the Y thickness of the board employed. The tray end naps 6l, 62, 63, and 64 t between the outer end wall panels and the inner end wall panels of the tray to form a multiple thickness end wall structure for the tray, as will hereinafter be described in greater detail. Y

The tray end flaps 63 and 64 forming a part of the tray end wall structure are cut from' the side wall panels I4 and I6 of the body portion resulting in corresponding recesses or steps in the top edges of the side wall panels. 'I'he side wall panel I4 thus has an upper top edge por- Y tion 69- and a lower top edge portion 18. Similarly, the side wall panel I6 has an upper top edge portion 1l and a lower top edge portion 12.

The blank A may be assembled into container with the side panel I6. Thereafter, or substantially simultaneously, the blank is further folded about the side fold lines I9 to bring the side panel .I4 face-to-face with the front panel I5 and to bring the panel I4 into adhesive engagement with the vglue flap I8. The blank thus becomes a tubular fiat structure A', as shown in Figure 2.

The glued and folded blank A' may be stored and shipped in fiat condition requiring a minimum of space and may be expanded and completed into hollow carton form by the manufacturer or distributor of the merchandise when needed. I

The expanding and setting up of the container proceeds as follows:

The blank A' is first squared vand the bottom structure of the body portion completed. For this purpose, the bottom panel 25 is first folded into a position substantially at right angle with respect to the side wall panel I6 to which it is attached. The bottom panels 24 and 26 are then folded over the-bottom panel 25. Fi-

i nally, the bottom panel 23 is folded about the bottom fold line 21 Vbeyond the normal position with respect to the side wall panel I4 until its end portion snaps past theouter edge of the end panel 25 and interlocks with it and with the end panels 24 and 26, as is clearly apparent from Figure 3. Upon release of the end panel 23, the bottom panel assembly moves back into rightangular position with respect to the side walls and remains in that position by reason of the interlock between the bottom panels.

The tray portion I2 ofthe blank may then be completed into hollow tray form. For this purpose, theblank is folded along fold lines 39 and 4I! to bring the front and back walls 31 and 38 into normal position with respect to the tray bottom panel 36. vThe-tray end flaps 6I,`62, 63 and 64 are then folded at the respective fold lines 65, 66, 61, and 68 to extend at right angles with respect to the front and back walls 31 and 38. The end walls are then completed by folding the end wall assemblies 44, 48, 52 and 43, 41, 5I about the infolded tray end aps 'so that the panels 43 and 44 form outer end wall panels, the panels 41 and 48 form inner end wall panels, and the securing panels 5I and 52 overlie the tray bottom panel 36. The securing panels 5I and 52 are then locked in place by placing the tabs 55 and 56 thereover, as shown in Figure 4.

Thus folded, a carton A is formed which is ready to receive merchandise. The carton A is easily lled since its interior is readily accessible by reason of the downfolded tray portion. The bottom wall 36 of the trayportion I2 lies in the same plane as the bottom closure of the body portion II. 'Ihe carton A" may therefore be filled on any :dat surface without special supports.

The illustrated form of carton is particularly I designed for the packaging of a plurality, for example, twelve small boxes of the type generally used in the trade for packaging toothpaste. In llingthe carton A", ten small boxes oi' mer- Y chandise are placed into the body portion II, and

two are placed into the tray portion I2. The infolded end walls of the tray portion I2 provide slightly less space `between them than theside walls Il and I6 of the body portion, thereby frictionally gripping the small boxes of merchandise, softhat the merchandise "will not drop out of the tray when the tray portion I2 is folded over the body portion II' in closing the carton A".

The carton is closed by -iirst infolding the tray portion I2 into the recessed space of the body portion IIV and then folding the cover portion I3 thereover. The tab 3l of the tuck flap is inserted through the cut 42 in the front of the carton resulting in a square package or container as shown in Figure 5. The Vcarton A'" is conveniently packed in multiple in larger shipping containers or stacked or stored, requiringa minimum of space. I' l 'I'he carton A" may be opened and converted into a display stand A" shown in Figure 6. 'I'his is done by opening the top panel, folding it back upon itself, about the fold line Il, and inserting the tuck ap 33 in back of the contents. The tray portion I2 may then be swung downwardly resulting in a stand having three tiers of equal depth, topped by a prominent display panel arrangement 28, 32. By reason of the multiple front wall, a rear wall twice the height of the front wall, and side walls having a rectangularly recessed top edge adjacent the.front wall, the

recess being equal in height to one third the height of the back wall; a tray portion including a bottom wall, side walls substantially equal in height tothe said recess, a front wall anda rear wall, the back wall of the tray portion being equal in height, integral with, and hingedly connected to, the front'wall of said body portion for folding into an infolded position in which the bottom of the tray lies substantially in line with the topmost edges of the side walls of the body portion and the side walls of the tray portion fit into said recesses, and for folding into an outfolded position in which the bottom of the tray lies substantially coplanar with the bottom surface of the body portion in. which position the tray forms a bottom tier in front of said body portion; and a cover panel hinged to the back wall of said body portion, said cover panel being adapted to cover said body portion, and overlie the bottom of said tray portion when said container is in closed condition, the cover panel having a fold line extending across it for folding of the cover panel back upon itself to form an upstanding display panel substantially coplanar with the back panel of said body portion.

thickness end wall construction of the tray portractive. practical carton serving a multiple purpose as a shipping and storage receptacle and as a display device for merchandise. It is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to set up by unskilled persons, and is easily converted from a shipping and storage container to a display device and vice-versa without rearranging of the merchandise. After sale of the contents, it may be recollapsed. No complicated securing, locking, or A setting up operations are required for converting the receptacle from box form into a display stand. y

Thi's's a particular feature where the conversion has to b performed by .persons not familiar with the relatively complex box assembly operations generally required in the s etting up of conventional display devices'.

It is, of course, not necessary that all the structural features disclosed in the illustrated embodment be employed conjointly since they may advantageously be used in various combinations, subcombinations, and modifications. Application of invention to other structures will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. Such adaptations involving additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes do not involve a departure from the spirit and the teaching of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A display container made froma single blank of foldable board forming a substantially square box in `closed condition and a triple tier display stand in open condition, the container compris- 2. A display container made from a single blank of foldable board comprising, a body portion including a bottom wall, a single thickness front wall, a sing1e thickness rear wall 'twice the height of the front wall, and single'thickness side walls having a recessed top edge adjacent the front wall, the recess being equal in height to one third the height of the back wall; a tray portion including a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and side walls substantially equal in height to the lsaid recess, said last named side wallsV being of multiple thickness formed of. ilaps 'extending from said bottom wall, front wall and rear wall of the tray portion, the back wall of the tray portion being equal in height, integral with, and' hingedly connected to, the front wall of the said body portion along a fold line for folding into an infolded position in which the bottom of the tray lies subvhinged to the back wall of said body portion, said cover panel being adapted to cover said body portion, and overlie the bottom of said tray portion when said container is in closed condition, the cover panel having a fold line extending across it for folding of the cover panel back upon itself to form an u pstanding display panel substantially coplanar with the back panel of said body portion, the portion of the cover overlying the said tray portion including a tuck tab, .said fold line including a central cut portion into which said tuck tab is insertable.

3. A blank of foldable board for forming a container adapted to be opened into a display stand, the blank comprising, four wall forming panels forming body front, back, and side walls, respectively, interconnected along side fold lines; bottom panels hingedly connected to said wall forming panels along bottom fold lines extending substantially at right angles to said side fold lines; a

ing, a body portion including a bottom wall. a top panel connected to said back Wall forming panel along a top fold line extendingsubstantially parallel to said bottom fold line; and a tray assembly hingedly connected to said front wall forming panel along a fold line extending substantially atright angles to said side fold lines. said tray assembly comprising, a tray bottom panel, tray front and back wall panels, tray side panels hinged to said tray bottom panel and foldable on one another to form tray side walls, and tray side flaps foldable upon said tray side panels certain of said last named foldable side flaps being cut from said body side walls leaving recesses in the top edges of the body side walls,

4. A blank of foldable board for forming a container adapted to be opened into a display stand, the blank comprising, four wall forming panels for-ming body front, back and side walls, respectively, interconnected along side fold lines; bottom panels hingedly connected to said wall forming panels along bottom fold lines extending substantially at right angles to said side fold lines: a top panel connected to said back wall forming panel along a terp fold line extending substantially parallel to said bottom fold line; and a tra-y assembly hingedly connected to said front wall forming panel along an intermediate fold line substantially parallel to said bottom and Vtop fold lines, the distance from said intermevpanel and foldable on one another to form tray side walls, and tray side flaps foldable upon said tray side panels, certain of vsaid last named foldable flaps being cut from said body side Walls leaving corresponding recesses in the top edges of the body side walls. Y

5. A blank of foldable board for forming a co tainer adapted to be opened into a display stand, the blank comprising, four wall forming panels forming body front, back, and side walls, respectively, interconnected along side fold lines; bottom panels hingedly connectedto said wall forming panels along bottom fold lines extending substantially at right angles to said side fold lines; a top panel connected to said back wall forming panel along a top fold line extending substanr tially parallel to said bottom fold line; and a tray assembly hingedly connected to said front lwall forming panel along an intermediate fold line extending substantially parallel to, and between, said bottom and top fold lines, said tray assembly comprising, tray front and back wall panels, one of said tray wall panels adjoining said body front wall along said intermediate fold line, a

tray bottom panel hingedly connected to said tray wall panels along lateral fold lines extending substantially parallel to said intermediate leaving corresponding recesses in the top edges of the body side walls.

fi. A blank of foldable board for forming a container adapted to be opened into a display stand,

the blank comprising, four wall forming panelsv forming body front, back, and side walls, respectively, and a. glue lap interconnected along side fold lines;A bottom panels hinged to said wall forming panels along bottom fold lines substantially normal to said side fold lines; a top panel hinged to said back wall forming panel along a top fold line substantially parallel to said bottom i'old line, said top panel having a, fold line extendlng across it permitting folding of the top panel back upon itself to form a display panel, and a tray assembly hinged to said front wall forming panel along an intermediate fold line spaced from, and parallel to, said bottom fold line, said tray assembly comprising, tray front and back wall panels, one of said tray wall panels adjoining said body front wall along said intermediate fold line, a tray bottom panel lying between, and hinged to, said tray wall panels along lateral fold lines, an outer end panel hinged to each end of said tray bottom panel along end fold lines normal to said lateral fold lines, an inner end panel hinged to each of said outer endpanels and foldable face-to-face with the respective outer end panell and a. tray and-flap hinged to said each end of said tray wall panels adapted to be folded between said outer and inner end panels, certain o! said tray end flaps being cut from said body side walls forming corresponding steps vin the top edges of the body side walls. Y

VINCENTR. PANTALONE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ol.' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 774,044 Craw Nov. 1, 1904 1,313,585 Dietsche Aug. 19, 1919 1,594,025 Soybel July 27, 1926 1,808,772 Ethridge June 9, 1931 1,954,060 Powers Apr. 10, 1934 2,124,335 Klein July 19, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 492,312 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1938 

